MMA Betting

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MMA betting and Mixed Martial Arts is a relatively new sport. Two fighters with different fighting styles and expertise enter a cage. They face each other with a bare minimum of rules in three 5 minute rounds (five rounds for championship fights). A judoka fighting a wrestler? Why not? Ever wonder what happens if a Thai boxer goes up against a ‘Western style’ boxer? Chinese Kung Fu versus Brazilian Capoeira? These questions are what’s started MMA and have created the Mixed Martial Artists of today. Well trained and very versatile fighters combine stand-up and ground game and see who the best fighter in the world is.  

Blood, sweat, gore. Excitement, violence, energy, focus. excitement… and more excitement! It’s MMA Betting! 

To even the odds, MMA introduced different weight classes throughout the years. They have also implemented Time limits and established rules, mostly to avoid serious injuries. The result is an exciting, explosive, and highly unpredictable mix of skill, brute force, and determination. Less refined than most martial arts, the sheer energy and determination of the fighters is highly addictive. Primal and raw, this sport is not for the faint-hearted. 

MMA asks a lot of its fighters but also of its fans. Especially European fans have to make an effort. Most MMA events take place in the USA, and the time difference can be a challenge. Even though MMA is not a mainstream sport, some fighters have become celebrities in their own right. Conor McGregor, Rhonda Rousey, and Anderson Silva, to name but a few. 

More and more bookmakers and tipsters are getting into MMA. Spectacular, unpredictable, and highly entertaining. MMA is the ideal sport for the more experienced bettors looking for a challenge. 


How to bet on MMA

Now that you have decided to give betting a go, what comes next? First things first. To place a bet, you will need a bookmaker. Most bookmakers have a betting site online. On their website, you can find an overview of all the ongoing and upcoming matches. The odds can vary between bookmakers, so comparing bookmakers is always a smart choice.  

To place a bet with a bookmaker (also known as a bookie), you need to register an account as a bettor (a.k.a. someone who places a bet) on their website. Next, you have to put money in your bookmaker’s account. Ensure the website’s privacy statement and use a safe banking option (e.g., credit card transfer, PayPal, etc.).

Because MMA is a relatively new sport, not all bookies are familiar with it yet. Please have a look around on their website. How many markets do they cover? What are the odds? What types of bets are available? 

Once you have done your homework, you are free to place a bet. Select a fight, choose your stake, and follow the instructions. If you lose your bet, the money will automatically be deducted from your bookmaker’s account. Did you win? Congratulations! The bookmaker deposits the money in your bookmaker’s account shortly.

When placing an online bet, you can never bet more than the amount of money you have put in your account. Make sure to only play with money you can afford to miss. Betting is never a sure thing. Losing the money you need for other things is just plain stupid.

Betting on MMA for beginners

The 5 minute and explosive rounds require the utmost from both fighters. They need to bring their best game every time they step into the cage. It doesn’t matter if the favorite is the more skilled fighter. If they lack focus and concentration, they will lose just the same. This explains why the underdog wins one in three MMA fights. 

Betting on MMA can be lucrative because you never know when or how the fights will end. There may not be that many rules, but the possibilities are endless. A KO in the first round, for instance, immediately ends the fight. Heavyweight fights are more likely to end in a KO than lightweight fights. So the odds for a lightweight KO will be higher. Draws are extremely rare, something you need to be aware of when placing a bet. The different fighting styles each have their advantages and disadvantages. This is why betting on MMA fights is unpredictable, exciting, and spectacular.

If you want to know more about MMA’s ins and outs, you can find a lot of information and the latest updates on YouTube. This basic knowledge will help you get started. Are you still not sure which event or which fight to bet on? There are tipsters out there specializing in MMA. They can provide you with the inside scoop to point you in the right direction.


mma fighter wrapping hands

Type of MMA bets

When betting on MMA, you are betting on a fighter to win. A draw is so rare that placing a bet on a draw is not worth your time. And not worth your money. 

To make things more interesting, you can also bet on the round in which your fighter will win. Or you can bet on the method. Will it be a KO, submission of decision? A combination of these options is not uncommon but more challenging to predict. It is resulting in better odds but less chance of winning. 

Or you can bet on how many rounds are needed to win the match. This is called an over or under bet. You can place a bet, for instance, on if a fight will be won in over 1.5 rounds. So here, the clock will determine if your bet is correct or not. 

MMA tournaments always host multiple matches with different fighters facing each other. An MMA tournament is usually made up of 10 – 16 different fights. The main event is centering around six high profile matches. Another reason why betting on MMA is so exciting. There are plenty of options to choose from. 

Looking to bet on something else? You can always try football, tennis and horse-racing.


MMA betting odds

Are you ready to crunch some numbers? This is the tricky part when it comes to betting: how to read the odds. What are odds exactly? Odds calculate the likelihood of an event happening compared to the probability of the event not happening. 

For instance: an MMA fight has three possible outcomes:

1. Fighter A wins.
2. Fighter B wins.
3. A draw (technically feasible – but very, very rare).

Statistically speaking, the chance of Fighter A winning is one in three. This outcome is what we call the odds. 

Easy right? If only things were this easy all the time. When calculating the odds, other factors have to be taken into account as well. Which fighter has more experience? What are the differences in fighting styles? How many matches have they won already? Or how many times have they been injured? And how are they doing mentally? The list goes on and on. 

When placing a bet, you like to have an idea of your possible winnings, don’t you? So being able to read the odds is pretty essential. You need to know if a bet is a good value before you stake your money on it. To make things even more interesting, odds can be displayed in three different ways: Decimal, Fractional, and Moneyline. 

Decimal odds:

These allow you to calculate precisely how much money you will get paid by the bookmaker if you win. For instance: 

If you place €10 on a bet with 1.50 odds, you will get €10 x 1.50 = €15 in return. If your bet pays off, of course. 

€15 (your return) – €10 (your original stake) = €5 (your profit).   

The decimal odds are very popular because they are easy to understand. They are most commonly used on the European continent, which is why they are sometimes called European odds. 

Fractional odds:

These odds show you how much profit you will make if you win.   

If you place that same €10 on a bet with 1/2 odds, you will profit of 10:2 = €5 if you win. 

The bookmaker will pay you €5 (your profit) + €10 (your original stake) = €15 (your return).

Fractional odds are most commonly used in the UK and Ireland. 

Moneyline odds:

There are positive and negative Moneyline odds. The favorable odds show you how much you will win from a $100 stake. The unfavorable odds show you how much you need to stake to win $100. 

For instance: if you place a $100 bet on +500 odds, you will make a $500 profit. 

If you are looking to win $100, you will need to place $500 on a bet with -500 odds.   

Moneyline odds are also known as American odds or US odds because they are most commonly used in the USA. 

Bookmakers spend a lot of time, money, and effort on calculating their odds. They need to make a profit after all. If you are comfortable reading these odds, you will compare their calculations with your expected outcomes. If your predictions are better than theirs, you stand to make a nice little profit.

Professional tipsters have turned this into an art form. To them, it doesn’t matter who is fighting who. They are only looking for any miscalculations the bookmakers might have made and place their bets accordingly.